Pittsburgh Man Charged with Submitting False Documents to Obtain Insurance Benefits
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh has been indicted by the federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of false statements, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The three-count indictment named William R. Cook, Sr., 34, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, Cook fraudulently obtained $39,102.59 on three occasions for a total of $117,307.77 in Federal Employee's Group Life Insurance death benefits when he filed false documents after a federal annuitant died on Aug. 5, 2008.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 15 years in prison, a fine of $750,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Nelson P. Cohen is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General, conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
